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Youngs finds enjoyment again

Starting for only the third time in a Test match for England in the last year, scrum-half Ben Youngs feels he is back on track.

Starting for only the third time in a Test match for England in the last year, scrum-half Ben Youngs feels he is back on track.

The Leicester number nine admits to getting bogged down in the logistics of the game rather than purely enjoying his rugby.

Getting the nod against Samoa ahead of Danny Care, Youngs has outlined how he realised where his game was suffering.

“The biggest thing for me was to get back on track, find that spark again, find that thing that got me there in the first place, which was playing rugby and enjoying it,” said Youngs.

“I was struggling for form and I didn’t know how to get out of that rut because I hadn’t been in that situation before.

“I found myself training longer, kicking longer, passing for longer, doing more weights – anything to find a way through. And in fact the best thing I could have done was to have done nothing.

“You know what, I’m going to strip it right back to the minimum and focus on enjoying the performance at the weekend. For me, it was about getting my mind right.

“When I was younger that naivety was the best thing – you just play what you see and don’t worry about the consequences because you didn’t understand them. Coming back to that a little bit certainly helps.”

Youngs also added that going through ‘a dark patch’ was always going to happen to any Test player, but that emerging out the other side was key to development.

“Some guys haven’t been through a dark patch but they will at some point because everyone does,” added Youngs.

“When you do come through it, you realise that if you play awfully badly then you can come through it and get back out the other end.

“You have an appreciation that you can stay relaxed, not go out there with fear because you realise that this is what works for you, although it doesn’t work for everyone.

“Some people like to head-butt the walls. Some listen to music. Whatever rocks your boat, just go out and enjoy it.”